Utica Morning Herald and Gazette [unsigned]
1872: 23 February

Mark Twain is undoubtedly, at present, the most popular
of American humorists. It does not necessarily follow that
he is the greatest; for popularity is not yet a synonym for
merit. In that good time coming, when every one shall be
perfectly educated and capable of passing correct judgment
on every book, and critics shall be superfluous, to form
and accurate estimate of a writer's talents, it will be
necessary only to compute the sale of his book. Until that
literary millenium arrives, the critic must rely on his own
judgment, in forming his estimates of authors. With this
brief statement of our right, we make bold to express our
dissent from the opinion of the great American public,
regarding Mark Twain. He is not our favorite author. Nor is
the fact that he holds such a place in the estimation of
the public at all flattering to its intelligence and
culture. It is not our intention, however, to attempt the
correction of the public taste in a matter comparatively
trivial. The taste that prefers the drolleries of Mark
Twain to the essays of LOWELL, is
healthy and commendable compared to that which craves
nothing higher than the sensational trash of the ordinary
novel. We should consider it our duty to speak only praise
of this author, if we might thereby turn a single admirer
of sensational fiction from his idol to the harmless humor
of Mark Twain.

Roughing It is published as a companion volume to
The Innocents Abroad. It is of very much the same
character as its predecessor--as laughable and as
entertaining. The author calls it a personal narrative;
and, in the main, it probably is. For the benefit of those
innocents, however, who have never been abroad, and whose
acquaintance with this writer is limited to the fictitious
criticisms of his writings, which appeared in "The
Galaxy Clubroom," as taken from an English journal,
and which they never doubted was genuine, until he informed
them it was a hoax--for the benefit of such, we give notice
that there are, in this book, anecdotes and narrations of
incidents to which they ought not to give full credence.
One of these is the story of John James Godfrey, the
employee of the "Incorporated Company of Mean Men." Most
readers have met with it undoubtedly, for it has been the
rounds of the newspapers, and was one of the author's best
hits in his lecture on the "Sandwich Islanders." It now
does good service, in filling out one of the later chapters
of this book, devoted to the account of his travels among
these festive people of the southern seas.

According to this personal narrative, the beginning of
Mark Twain's pilgrimage was occasioned by the apportionment
of his brother, as secretary of Nevada Territory. Mark went
thither as private secretary of the secretary, with the
intention, he is sure, of returning East after a few
months. The months lengthened into years. His semi-official
position was exchanged meanwhile for every variety of
business and calling from that of editor of a miners'
weekly newpaper down to that of a ten-days-wild-cat
millionaire. And when, at last, he returned to his home and
friends, his fame as a humorous writer and lecturer had
preceded him. There is no doubt that this book will find
thousands of readers, and that is will afford them all
amusement. There is also, as the author observes,
"information in the volume." He adds, in his funniest
strain: "Yes, take it all around, there is quite a good
deal of information in the book. I regret this very much;
but really it could not be helped. Information appears to
stew out of me naturally, like the ottar of roses out of
the otter. Sometimes it has seemed to me that I would give
worlds if I could retain my facts; but it can not be. The
more I calk up the sources, and the tighter I get, the more
I leak wisdom."